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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703832">Good Wine; Good "Friends"</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenieboy/pseuds/greenieboy'>greenieboy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: The Next Generation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Day At The Beach, F/F, Love Confessions, they drink wine and kiss bc i say so, they're gay on a beach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:42:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703832</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenieboy/pseuds/greenieboy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"She turns a page in her book, sipping from her wine glass. Jean-Luc offered her two bottles of Chateau Picard the week before, telling her nothing was better than drinking good wine on the beach with a good friend. Beverly thinks about Deanna’s nails in her back the night before, legs around her waist. Good friend. She could snort."</p><p>Deanna and Beverly take some well-needed shore leave to a private beach.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beverly Crusher/Deanna Troi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Good Wine; Good "Friends"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hellooooooooo so this is "unbetaed" but like, whatever. it's gay, it's tender, and it's a lil hot. but yknow, not too much. enjoy !!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beverly sits on a towel by the shore with her knees tucked to her chest, eyes settled on the pages of her book. She glances up occasionally, eyes easily finding Deanna each time. There’s no one else on this beach; they’re completely alone. It can be reserved for a week, and for only 100 credits. Not that either of them paid for this. It was a birthday gift from Will to Deanna, and he probably expected the empath to take him on this trip. But Deanna had asked Beverly, tucked away in her arms one night, naked and oh-so-sweet. Maybe Beverly should have seen it coming. She said yes without thinking, without asking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turns a page in her book, sipping from her wine glass. Jean-Luc offered her two bottles of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Chateau Picard</span>
  </em>
  <span> the week before, telling her nothing was better than drinking good wine on the beach with a good friend. Beverly thinks about Deanna’s nails in her back the night before, legs around her waist. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good friend.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She could snort. She doesn’t really understand what they are, but Beverly can grasp that their relationship has strayed beyond friendly. They share meals, and share a bed, and share clothes, and kiss, and fuck, and hold one another while they drift off to sleep, and apparently, they take each other on shore leave too. Beverly can say that they are well passed friends at this point, but they haven’t exactly defined anything. Or rather, Deanna hasn’t defined anything, and Beverly is too nervous to ask. She takes another sip of her wine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks up just in time to see Deanna approaching their towel, body glistening in the morning sun. Ironically, her wet body makes Beverly’s mouth dry. “Hi,” Deanna says as she lowers herself to sit beside Beverly. Swiftly, she connects their lips and steals a chaste kiss that leaves Beverly giddy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Beverly repeats, her voice soft and somewhat airy. A cheeky grin appears on her lover’s lips (they are lovers, though thinking that gives Beverly nerves) as she leans forward to properly kiss Beverly, hands coming up to hold her cheeks. Beverly sighs, giving in to the wondrous sensations that overtake her. When they part, Deanna has a glint in her eyes that means she wants to devour Beverly whole. Beverly clears her throat. “I thought you were going to swim for a while longer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deanna shrugs, reaching for Beverly’s wine glass. She sips before saying, “I think I’m swimmed out for today.” Beverly chuckles, closing her book with one finger between the pages. Deanna sips again, passing the glass to the doctor. “Besides, you looked lonely over here”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re gracing me with your presence, is that it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deanna smirks. “Precisely,” she quips, and once more she steals a kiss, and now Beverly is borderline breathless. Deanna is very good at doing that. With her eyes closed, she hears Deanna’s triumphant chuckle, as one hand comes to rest on her cheek. “Your cheeks always get so rosy when you drink wine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beverly cracks an eye open. “I have had a bit to drink,” she says, faux innocently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deanna raises her eyebrow. “How much?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beverly pauses. “Maybe… half a bottle?” Deanna gasps, swatting her, though it's all very playful. Beverly giggles, shaking her head. “I left you the other half, don’t worry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reaching for said bottle, Deanna narrows her eyes. “You better have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They fall into a comfortable silence as Deanna refills Beverly’s glass, though by now it’s been commandeered as her own. She drinks from it, tilting her head back, and Beverly’s eyes are drawn to the column of her neck. There are a few hickeys and love bites scattered across the flesh, and Beverly is well aware of the matching marks peppered along her own skin. They aren’t usually so indiscreet, but there’s nobody here to see them now. Deanna is certainly aware of this, as she takes Beverly’s hand in her own and holds it gently. As she draws Beverly into periodic kisses that last a lifetime and yet not long enough all at once. As her unoccupied hand strokes the warm skin of her thigh. She has no sexual motives - Beverly would have been pulled on top of her by now if she did - but the intimacy within her touches and her kisses seems more scandalizing than outright screwing on the beach. All the same, Beverly finds herself replying to each act in kind, content to be present with Deanna. They don’t usually have time to be so tender with one another. And sometimes, Beverly doesn’t believe she has the right to be so with Deanna. Not without Deanna’s express permission, that is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With her eyes trained on Deanna, and Deanna’s on the ocean, Beverly wants to tell her she loves her. Because she does love her. And no doubt Deanna knows she does. That’s why asking for a definition for </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> scares her. Beverly is more analytical than emotional, but even she can’t stop the overwhelming fear that clogs her throat like cotton when she thinks about losing what she has with Deanna. It’s probably the best thing in her life. So maybe that’s why she </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell her. Because if there’s even the slightest chance Deanna loves her too, she should take it. Take it and run with it. Why wait around like a nervous adolescent? When she agreed to this trip, Beverly hadn’t planned on confessing anything. But one taste of romantic intimacy with Deanna, and that’s all out the window. She parts her lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deanna-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are so beautiful,” Deanna says then, cutting her off. Her hand is still on Beverly’s thigh, but it’s intention has changed. She shuffles on her knees until she’s kneeling over Beverly’s lap with her hands on Beverly’s cheeks. Beverly can only stare. Slowly, she pressed fluttering kisses across Beverly’s face, her nose, her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids, the corners of her mouth, before gently kissing her lips. It’s sweeter than sugar and softer than silk, and Beverly thinks she could drown in it. Deanna’s grasp grows firm, as her lips begin to travel. They dip across her jaw, down her neck, searing hot kisses into sun-kissed skin, drawing obscene sounds from the terribly reserved Doctor Crusher. She could give in very easily, but thinking about telling Deanna makes her nervous, which makes her stiffen. And Deanna, ever attentive, notices. “Beverly?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Beverly swallows, though her voice is flighty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deanna gazes at her, worry and curiosity melding behind her eyes. She sits back somewhat. “You were going to say something,” she says softly, arms dropping to rest around her neck. Beverly shakes her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not to me, it isn’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deanna…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beverly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beverly realizes there’s no escape. She’s backed herself into this corner, and though Deanna might be smaller than herself, there’s no getting past her. So she sighs, her shoulders sagging. Deanna holds her tighter, and the ease it brings counteracts the nerves she’s alight with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I -“ She says, voice catching. She swallows. “I wasn’t sure if now was the right time to say anything. I don’t know if there ever will be a right time.” Deanna’s gaze softens, but she's wordless and god only knows what’s going through her head. Beverly exhales, and her breath shudders. Her lips tremble. “You - mean so much to me. You always have. And this - whatever this is, means so much to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her lover’s eyes glisten as she stares. “Beverly…” Why does Deanna sound so heartbroken?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I -“ Beverly knows she just has to say. The words bubble up, pushing up her throat and to her teeth. She just has to move her jaw and they’ll come spilling out. Her lips part, tongue to the back of her teeth. “I love you.” Deanna stares at her, blankly, and it terrifies Beverly. She can feel time stand still, and oh god she wants to stop existing immediately. But then Deanna is laughing, full bellies and overjoyed, throwing herself into the doctor full force, embracing her. Beverly is the one staring now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You scared the hell out of me, Beverly Howard,” says Deanna, resting her head on Beverly’s shoulder. She pulls away enough to gaze into Beverly’s eyes. “I thought you were trying to break up with me.” Realization hits Beverly like a hover-bus. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh…</span>
  </em>
  <span> A slow grin spreads across her lips as she giggles, before fully laughing, scooping Deanna up by her waist and holding her tight, pressing little kisses to anywhere she can reach. It earns her a delighted noise from her lover.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I was only confessing my love for you,” she quips, but somehow she still sounds vulnerable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Deanna’s grin is enough to soothe her fears. “Then it’s a good thing I love you too.” They’re silent as they stare at one another, before crashing their lips together for an over-emotional kiss. Beverly’s hands can’t get enough of Deanna, and Deanna’s body can’t get close enough to Beverly. Between kisses, Deanna says, “I think I’m done here for the day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Back to the beach house?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only if you carry me.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>leave a kudos or comment if u enjoyed and find me on tumblr @ stonktrek</p></blockquote></div></div>
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